The Patient
by Yume Koko
Summary: He hates winter. He hates spring. But he knows that only you can stop your hate.


The Patient

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Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket, but I DO own the plot, the blahs, and the other blahs. Contain spoilers. MUAHAHA!

…I don't own this computer…

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He hated winter. He despised winter. It made him feel as if he was standing in front of Akito. It scared him, and he hated the feeling of it.

Whenever he walked in the falling snow, he was one to start out uncomfortably in the silence, occasionally broken by the birds that were to migrate south, where the warm weather was. He had obviously envied the free, flying birds that could fly when ever they wanted to. The only problem was the hunters who wanted to sell your corpse they shot down for money. Then the customers would buy you, and then they would roast, bake, or fry you on a stove, and eat you, which would be really bad.

But enough of the birds, more about him. He would walk faster and faster until his pace was of a fussy boss, walking fast around the office, complaining about something or the other. He walk at the same pace until he reached his rather empty home where he would make some chrysanthemum tea and sit down on his rocking chair where he would, sipping his fresh tea, rock in a steady rhythm until he would fall asleep or Shigure or Ayame would call him. Then he would be a little more relaxed, and the rare visits from the ever so bored Momiji would come in, talking about what he did in school that day, or what he learned from his teacher. But that was only when Tohru hadn't come along and broken the spell of cold-heartedness.

Even so, the sorrowful memory of _her_ would come along, and he would shudder involuntarily. The hot, refreshing chrysanthemum tea would pass his throat, not even feeling a thing. But that was rare and sudden, and as soon as the memory came, it flashed away, leaving him gazing at the picture of his beloved one. Yes, it was happy for a while, but sooner or later, the warm dream passes by, moving on into someone else's life, making their cold, terrible life seem blissful. Yes, he longed for her, yes, he dreamed of her coming back, but he knew she wouldn't. A dream is just a dream. It won't really happen.

She said she didn't made finding out the secret of the stupid Jyuunishi curse. She had actually said that his Jyuunishi form –a seahorse—was cute, and she had even said that it was _cute_. "It was adorable!" he had remembered her saying, but was it really that cute? "I love you. There isn't a woman that cares for you more!" Was that really true?

But when she left, he _did_ feel abandoned and lonely, and leaving her wasn't such a celebration. Yes, Akito might have enjoyed it happily, but he didn't feel so happy.

But he then realized why Akito was so happy about. Maybe she was jealous? But that wasn't valid either. Akito might be _really_ mad, but she was never jealous of anyone.

But she _did_ push Rin out of the window. She _did _push Kisa aside when she was walking with Hiro. And she _did_ try to strangle her own _mother_ for touching him too much. But she never did a thing to Kagura. Well, she _did_ tell her that Kyou was a 'filthy, stinking cat,' but she was like that to everyone.

She _did_ have a lot of impact to Yuki… But the last time he checked, Yuki was a boy, not a girl… Or at least he thought so. But if he wasn't, then why does he—or she—transform? Shigure would've laughed non-stop at this, but he wouldn't. He doesn't laugh anymore. He hadn't laughed ever since she left. And he's been like this for all this time.

Shigure and Ayame tried their best to cheer him up. Yuki's been more thoughtful. And Tohru was plain kind. But none of that worked, and he found it frustrating to find them leaving his favorite food on the stove with a note and a happy, smiling face on it. He thought it was annoying to find Yuki constantly starting conversations with him when he was around. But he loved the way Tohru smiles at him. It made him think that she hadn't left. It made him feel as if the cold, winter of his heart melt into a wondrous, happy spring.

But that won't happen until a little longer. That's okay, though. She would have been proud, too, with him.

He can wait until his heart melts. Why?

He is patient. All of the dragons—seahorses—were patient.

But a third of his patience came from her, who made his heart warmer. Another third came from Tohru, whose smiles made his heart confident and not as lonely as before. But the other third…

No, he isn't so very sure about that one. But he is patient, knowing that it is best to find out for himself and to discover the secret tunnels his heart makes. He's not going to make any mistakes. He will watch knowingly, observing the tiniest movement a free, flying bird could make. He's learned from his bitter, silent past, and with the remaining hope left inside him, he will make a bright, cheerful forest path, leading him out of the dark tangles of vines and black trees.

Unlike some people, he actually has a choice. Get out, or stay there.

But that was just a thought.


End file.
